


A Certain Kind of Diplomacy

by reeby10



Category: Original Work
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Accidentally married to an alien, Alien Culture, Alien/Human Relationships, Diplomacy, F/F, though not really the way it's usually intended
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-14 22:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21023582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reeby10/pseuds/reeby10
Summary: “What do you meanmarried?” Marcene asked, trying as hard as possible to keep her voice even.





	A Certain Kind of Diplomacy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ashglory](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashglory/gifts).

Marcene knew she should have read the dossier more closely. Edith, her assistant, had been harping on it ever since they left Earth for the two week trip to Zsarbatha. She’d skimmed it all, of course, and usually that was enough for the kinds of diplomatic assignments she was assigned. Apparently this time it wasn’t.

“What do you mean _married_?” Marcene asked, trying as hard as possible to keep her voice even despite the panic suddenly bubbling up.

Queeebleirn blinked all five eyes, which Marcene knew to be a sign of confusion in her species. Usually only three eyes were open, except in stressful situations. “You were the one to initiate the match,” she replied, and Marcene almost cringed to hear how judgemental she sounded even through the translator. “Why is there such distress?”

“It, uh… I mean, I…”

Marcene swallowed down the lump in her throat, then consciously tried to calm herself. This was not a situation to freak out in. She needed to pull herself together and figure this out. That was her job, after all, and she desperately needed to hang onto that if nothing else.

“I apologize, Ambassador Queeebleirn,” Marcene said after a long moment of silence. “Your people’s cultural signals are very different from mine, and in my haste to take up my position at this diplomatic post, I forgot that for a moment and… stumbled into this situation unaware.”

Queeebleirn made a sound that the translator struggled to translate, but which Marcene took to indicate the Zsarbathan’s dissatisfaction. Which was entirely fair, considering. Marcene wouldn’t have been happy if their situations were reversed, not by a longshot. But Marcene needed to preserve the diplomatic relationship between their planets, so she was going to have to figure out a way to spin things into a positive.

“However, I believe that this marriage, no matter how accidental it was entered into on my part, would indeed be a great boon to both of our peoples,” Marcene continued, proud that her voice didn’t shake even a bit despite her nervousness. “Do you agree?”

“I do agree,” Queeebleirn said immediately. She seemed relieved going by the lightening color of her pebbled skin, though Marcene knew she wasn’t very good at reading Zsarbathan physical cues. That would have to change, she supposed. “My clan-family will be pleased to have such a well regarded human join with us. We shall go to meet the matriarch immediately.”

“Immediately?” Marcene squeaked, too shocked to censure herself in time.

“We do not wish to bring shame to my clan-family by waiting,” Queeebleirn said, and there was that judgemental tone of voice back again. “It must be soon.”

“Of course,” Marcene replied weakly. Well, she had brought this upon herself by not thoroughly reading the dossier after all. She’d just have to deal with consequences to the best of her abilities. “Let’s go meet the matriarch.”


End file.
